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One of the important aspects of being a firefighter is community involvement. This comes in many forms. To some it may be as a little league or soccer coach, while others are involved in the boys and girls club. Some may be active at church. Whatever you choose to do, it is important to be active in the community. Many candidates ...

In today's uncertain economic times, you - like many others - are probably focusing on saving more and spending less. You may be anxious about your job security, salary and employment opportunities. Over the years, I've found the best way to combat stress is to put together a plan and stick to it. Here at FireLink we are 100% focused on ...

I received several e-mails last week about running faster. A few requested workouts for their 1.5 mile, 2 mile or three mile PFT runs and several were runners who compete 5K and 10K races on the weekends. Since all these distances use relatively the same training philosophy - short distance , faster pace - I decided to answer them all ...

Last week we rolled out a major update to our video channel that should make it much easier to share videos on FireLink. First and foremost, you should now be able to embed a video hosted on another site. So if you see something you like on YouTube and you'd like to pass it along to your friends on FireLink, simply ...

We all are susceptible to lower back injuries– firefighter, military, law enforcement, advanced athlete, beginning exerciser, or sedentary person – we all get back injuries of some sort. The back injuries seen most in doctor’s offices and chiropractic clinics world wide involve the lower back / hip region and can occur from a variety of different causes. According to Dr. Steve ...

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” This statement certainly applies to the interview portion of the firefighter exam, where you only have one opportunity to make a favorable first impression. Even before the start of an interview, the first thing the raters will notice about you is your overall demeanor and appearance. Your eye contact, facial ...

Congratulations on getting on a volunteer department! Hopefully, by reading through this guide you have gained some helpful knowledge to help you not only become a volunteer firefighter, but to help you along your career as well. Now that you are a part of the department, it’s time to really show what you’ve got. Keep demonstrating that you are interested in ...

Learn to use scholarships to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses. While looking for money for school many service members, veterans, and their families tend to overlook the over $300 million of military - and veteran - related scholarships and grants. These scholarships often go unclaimed due to the following misconceptions: * **Military education benefits eliminate the need for scholarships and grants.** False - ...

h4. What are online courses? Online courses offer the same educational information that you would get in a traditional institution but they are held in virtual classrooms instead of physical classrooms. Everything else will be similar to campus colleges. You will still have professors, books, assignments, exams, and grades, but also more flexibility as you would learn over the Internet from ...

It doesn’t matter if you are a rookie on probationary status, or you are a tenured member of the team, always ask questions! Common knowledge states that there is no such thing as a stupid question. If you don’t know something, ask a person who does. By asking questions you may not only help yourself, but other members and officers as ...

Last night, I stayed up until 4 AM and then tonight as I started to log off at 4:32 AM I thought I could tell you what I remember although I can not tell you what year it was or where exactly on the street. But, it was my first memory of fire and has haunted me for all these years. ...

I'll just give you a short story about how I decided to become an employee of the Forest Service.....It was in the firestorms of 2003 here is southern California. It was my first year as a volunteer. I was with my partner Kathy Barnes, we had gone up to Lytle Creek where the fires at that point was raging to help ...

_Sandy2502_ - A little more advice. As you go through fire school. Always stay a chapter ahead of the class. Then the class becomes a review and Highlighting becomes easier. Be careful of the Dept. A-holes. We all have them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and orders if you feel it is unsafe. If they are talking FF-ize and ...

This week, I received an email from an Army Soldier who was having a difficult time running a few months ago. His breathing patterns were so erratic that he was basically hyperventilating while running his two mile PFT run. Once he started breathing properly as well as exhaling FULLY, he was able to perform better in the run – not only ...

This week I received a fun email from a former Marine who likes to push himself still and those around him. He writes: Stew, I have been using your workouts to get my pushups up to 100 in 2 minutes (as a Marine we focused on pullups as you know) and got it last week. Now I an thinking of doing ...

Fire departments have the luxury of choosing any candidate they feel would best represent their organization. To an outsider, if your friends are of questionable character, then so are you. You have heard the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” If your friends are getting into trouble, then, potentially, so are you. Even if you are not a party ...

"I told them she did not suffer and I was there for her, holding her close..." A call that I responded to was an accident that involved a teen driver. I just got off my shift as a firefighter and was on my way home from work when the call came in for an accident with injuries. I called dispatch because ...

_Q: Hey, I’m about to graduate from Highschool in San Jose, CA in a few months and I want to become a firefighter after or during college. I’m just trying to find out what’s the best. Even if it’s out of state. Also if anyone knows of any places where I can take classes to become an EMT?_ A: Check ...

Here is to the past. I toast to you who are gone. Everything has changed since you left. Would you be proud of me today or ashamed? I wonder. You always expected the best from me and I have tried to do that. I always admired you and looked to you for guidance. Without you in my life I wander for ...

My story I have is about my husband, Ted. He's a FF/Medic in St. Louis county. Clayton, MO to be exact. July 21, 2008 was the worst day of his life. At 530 a.m. he had a call for a shooting in the community that was adjacent to where he works. A man parked his truck across the street from his ...